


A Fireside Chat

by haawk



Series: before my road leads back to you [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:14:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27792112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haawk/pseuds/haawk
Summary: just how i imagine the fabled *lamppost in winter* dialogue going down
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair/Tabris (Dragon Age), Alistair/Warden (Dragon Age)
Series: before my road leads back to you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2033299
Comments: 4
Kudos: 7





	A Fireside Chat

The fire is down to embers now, the last stragglers in their meager party having already gone to bed. Alistair and Katriel sit in companionable silence around it; her reading, and him repairing his armor. She looks up from her book (a trashy romance novel, from the looks of it) and, grinning at him, asks, “If you were raised in the Chantry, have you never…?”

The question takes him aback, having never expected _her_ to ask something like that- they were the only two Grey Wardens left in Ferelden and she was probably his best friend, sure, but this? What does this mean? - but then he sees Zevran’s sleeping form a little ways off, remembers what a horrible flirt he is, and reconsiders his stance. “Never…? Never what? Had a good pair of shoes?” He’s trying to deflect, hoping simultaneously that Katriel will drop it and that she won’t notice how red his face already is.

“You know what I mean,” she teases.

“I’m not sure I do. Have I never seen a basilisk? Ate jellied ham? Have I never licked a lamppost in winter?”

She groans and blushes at his response, waving her hands at him as if to shoo him away. “Never mind. Now you’re just making fun of me.” She tries to hide her face back in her book, and for once he remembers that she’s a year younger than him. Not that it’s that much, but…still.

“Make fun of you, dear lady? Perish the thought!” Alistair considers dropping it, but the thought of, for once, having the upper hand in their teasing (not to mention the blush spreading across her cheeks from the term of endearment) spurs him on. “Now tell me- have _you_ ever licked a lamppost in winter?” When she looks up again, he wiggles his eyebrows in the way he knows will make her laugh, his heart skipping a beat when she does.

With all the solemnity she can muster between giggles, she replies, “No, I have never licked a lamppost in winter.” And that…that throws him off for a moment, not expecting Katriel to be that honest- not that he thought she would lie! But they rarely spoke seriously if they could help it.

Trying to regain his composure he says, “Good! I hear its quite painful. I remember one of the younger initiates did it on a dare once, and there was pointing and laughing…oh! The humanity!” She’s laughing again, looking over at him with eyes that sparkle in the dying firelight and his chest tightens. He suddenly busies himself with his armor again. “I myself have also never had the pleasure. Not that I haven’t thought about it, of course, but…you know,” he finishes lamely.

Katriel’s eyes widen, briefly, before she grins and Alistair feels distinctly like he’s wandered into a trap, “Oh, that’s so cute. You’re a virgin.”

“Cute?” He can hear how whiny he sounds and it takes all his willpower not to pout. Alistair thinks about the consequences of whatever he says next for a split second, and decides to try his luck, putting on his most suave voice, “Well…hearing that from a beautiful woman does make me feel much luckier; I’ll say that.”

She’s smiling again, but its softer now; he’s pretty sure it’s a smile she reserves for him only and that’s…everything, if he’s being honest. He hasn’t really had a chance to think about her like this before (not that he would have, if he had the chance- he’s a gentleman, really!) but now it’s never going to leave his thoughts. Then, as if the answer isn’t the most obvious thing in the world, “You think I’m beautiful?” And he can tell she’s completely serious, too, that she’s holding her breath and trying her hardest not to let any emotion show on her face because she doesn’t want to look hopeful or disappointed, doesn’t want to let any weakness through.

Alistair finds that he wants her to be hopeful. “I do,” and when she looks down to hide the very pleased smile on her face, he decides to push his luck just a bit more, “…do you have any particular opinion about me saying so?”

She looks up and then away, smiling her just-for-Alistair smile, and glancing at him says, “I might like hearing it. From you.” Katriel stands and he does too, waiting for her to grab her book and head back to her tent for the night. As she walks by him, she stops to reach up and put her hand on his arm. “Goodnight, Alistair,” she says, gazing into his eyes with just a hint of pink dusting her cheeks.

He can only stare dumbly after her for a few moments, before coming back to himself and saying, far too loudly, “Oh, uh, goodnight! Sleep well!” She smiles back at him before going into her tent, leaving him alone with thoughts far too jumbled to be on watch.

**Author's Note:**

> originally, i wasn't going to romance alistair but then i fell deeply in love with him, so i started the romance a bit later in the game (right after they go to denerim for the first time and meet his sister). i've also just decided my tabris is a horrible goblin who snatches up any book she can get her hands on
> 
> in my mind, alistair's like 19ish? and kat is 18. just a coupla crazy teens


End file.
